• Involve the young birthday lady in planning her special celebration.party girls image by chinatiger from Fotolia.com
  
  Turning 16 is a big deal for a girl, as well as for her parents who have watched her grow and develop over the years. The long-favored way to celebrate this big day is with a Sweet 16 party, one that looks back at the girl she was, as well as introduce the young lady that she has become. When considering different themes for a Sweet 16 party, pay close attention to the personal details of the guest of honor. Let her hobbies, strengths and accomplishments guide your ideas.
  
  

Favorite Food Theme

• Vary chocolate types and colors throughout your chocolate-theme party.chocolate image by Marek Kosmal from Fotolia.com
  
  Use the guest of honor's favorite food or treat, such as chocolate, as the theme of her party. Hold your party in a hotel banquet hall or even in your own backyard for the young lady with a long guest list. Use the colors of the food for your tablecloths, flowers, balloons and other table and room decorations. For example, if you're using a chocolate theme, find chocolate-brown satin fabric and use it to drape the tables and chair backs. Special-order white roses and have some sprayed in a dark, chocolate-brown color. This will give you both white and dark chocolate roses to use for decorations. Real chocolate flowers will make for extra special centerpieces.
  
  Fill brown, white and pink balloons with helium to attach to the backs of chairs. Serve a variety of chocolate treats, such as a chocolate fountain, truffles, chocolate pudding, chocolate cupcakes and chilled chocolate milk served in wine goblets. This theme also works well for ethnic foods, such as Mexican, Chinese and Indian.
  
  

Quilt-Making Party

• A memento quilt can last her whole life.Patchwork as a background 2 image by Lucy Cherniak from Fotolia.com
  
  Invite all of the party girl's friends over make a special Sweet 16 quilt together. The fabric of this quilt should include a variety of items that symbolize who she is. Trace her friends' hand prints directly onto the fabric of clothing she likes but has outgrown and no longer wears. Cut them out and sew them onto the quilt. Stitch the names of each of the girls onto the quilt to commemorate the group effort. Have lunch catered from the birthday girl's favorite restaurant.
  
  

Weekend Getaway

• Give her a girls' weekend getaway for a lifetime of great memories.sign. theatre sign image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
  
  Take the birthday girl and a few of her best friends on a special weekend get-a-way. Find a spa resort or a town that has a lot of shopping, boutiques, theater and restaurants. Plan for the girls to have massages and facials. Take them to the theater and then out for a nice dinner. If you can't afford to go for the whole weekend, stay close to home and reserve a room at a nice hotel. Have room service ordered in and let the girls stay up all night watching movies. The next morning, treat them to a brunch buffet and pedicures.